My Picks for this Summer’s Flicks

5) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 A superhero movie was destined to end up in my top five movies since I am a sucker for this genre. However, I tried to be as nonbiased as possible while constructing this list. Even with titles such as Spiderman, Wonder Woman, and Atomic Blonde released this summer, I think Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is the only one that deserves a spot on this list. Director James Gunn delivers another visually stunning and very funny addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He wisely chooses not to focus too much attention on setting the audience up for the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War, but instead create a surprisingly heartfelt father-and-son story with all the fun of a comic book movie. Like many good sequels, it improves upon its predecessor by diving further into characters that were not fully developed in the first film. Both Yondu (Michael Rooker) and Nebula’s (Karen Gillan) relationship with the title characters are explored in more detail this time around. In particular, Yondu’s character arc is really the heart of the story. Overall, this is a very entertaining movie if you’re a fan of the genre.

4) The Big Sick This movie is an indie comedy staring the talented Kumail Nanjiani, who is also one of the writers for the film. Although this is a comedy and there are a couple of hilarious scenes, the comedy is subtle. The humor mainly lies in the awkward situations the characters are placed in and the quirkiness of the leads. This film is an interesting take on a romantic comedy because it primarily explores the relationship between Kumail (he is playing himself in the film) and Emily’s (Zoe Kazan) parents when they are forced to stick together after Emily becomes terribly sick. In fact, Emily isn’t in most of the film, but the chemistry between the romantic leads when they do share screentime is strong enough for the audience to become invested in the fate of their relationship. The film explores the confusion of love, the consequences of breaking free from cultural expectations, and ultimately on how to cope with the unpredictability of life and how to cope with it. It does this all in a very light-hearted way ensuring that a laugh is never too far way from its tear-jerking moments.

3) Girls Trip I did not want to like this movie. I’m all for a good chick flick every now and then (I am a sucker for 10 Things I Hate About You and Love Actually), but the trailers for this movie looked awful and I can’t say that I’ve ever liked a Queen Latifah movie. As much as I tried to hold back every grin, within about ten minutes of this movie I was dying. This is about the time that Tiffany Haddish enters the movie and she’s hilarious. I’ve never heard of her before, but after this movie I will definitely be keeping an eye out for her future films. Her comedic timing is perfect in every line she delivers and she has a few really funny moments of physical comedy on display as well. This movie is raunchy, hilarious, and even kind of moving at times. Perfect for a night in with the girls or even a guilty pleasure for the boys too.

2) War for the Planet of the Apes While I was a fan of the last two films, this movie surpasses them in every way. It is really something special. First of all, the effects on display in this film are unmatched. The motion capture is so perfect that if someone told me that they used real apes for the film I would have believed them. When these apes are interacting with their environment, each fiber of hair on their bodies seems to be moving in its own unique way. Their facial movements are so detailed that a broad spectrum of emotions can be seen and felt while watching these apes face dangerous situations, ethical dilemmas, and more intimate moments. Besides these masterful effects, the film also tells an engaging story. The story of Caesar is an interesting one because the problem he faces is not as simple as winning the war against humans.He continues to struggle internally about the right thing to do for his family, the apes, and even mankind as he begins to develop a close bond with a young daughter of the enemy race. While a lot of fantasy films (such as Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Star Wars) have such a definitive good vs. evil type of battle, neither army in this film is depicted as simply good or evil. Each respective race is composed of characters that the audience must decide for themselves which side of good or evil they fall on based on their intentions. Even if the premise of fighting apes seems silly at first, (as it did to me), I suggest giving this movie a chance.

1) Baby Driver This movie is awesome. This sentence can basically sum up my entire review, but I will elaborate. This film is directed by Edgar Wright, who is a really successful director with many well-received films in his catalogue. While I was not surprised that Baby Driver was receiving the same critical praise and success of his previous films (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) I figured it probably wouldn’t be my thing since I wasn’t a fan of his previous work; I was wrong. I had so much fun with this film from start to finish. It’s similar to a musical, (nobody sings don’t worry), in that the heart of the movie really lies in its playlist. Each scene is choreographed so that it fits the theme, rhythm and beat of the music that is playing under it. For example, there is a scene where a shootout is taking place and each angle change, gunshot, and movement is in sync with the musical changes in the song. Besides this really cool stylistic choice of direction, the film has plenty more to offer. The characters are really overthe- top and interesting, the dialogue is quick and witty (similar to Tarantino’s style), and the action is suspenseful and unpredictable. This is easily one of my favourite movies of the year so far.

References:

Image from https://www.comicbookmovie.com/comics/2017-summermovie- season-recap-best-summer-for-movies-a153638